Good karma for Dan Hearn!

https://www.idniyra.org/2020/02/06/daniel-hearn-honored-by-pzz-for-the-fair-play-gesture/

Bob Crinion sent this from Nova Scotia- sadly it was about two weeks ago and that gorgeous ice has been covered w snow. But must have been great while it lasted!

I was in a coffee place in CT a few months ago and this issue of “The Rudder” was on a table- thought everyone would enjoy the advertising….

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More from Sweden- Dideric was nice enough to let me use his shop, alignment jigs and shim tape to get my runners all true-ed up; see below

This is the stylish and well-groomed Dideric, in a nice restaurant with some disgusting American tourist.

The stairwell in the B&B. Scary but great to look at!

Sunrise on the Swedish highway

A typical Swedish rest stop. To American pot-heads and reggae fans (is that redundant?) this is a bit misleading… I’m sure some people were disappointed to learn that “Rasta” merely means “rest” in Swedish. Just as well, we have sailing to do!

We are headed to the site now, will set up later today and hopefully start races tomorrow. One way or another it will be an interesting week- will send reports as things develop- stay tuned!

Finally and most importantly many thanks to Dideric and Alex for hosting us and treating us better than family!

Still on the road in Sweden- getting there is easily half the fun when you are rolling with Jorg Bohn and his amazing entourage…

We left Germany the other day- Some of us driving his Sprinter while he and Sean flew his plane to Denmark for service. We survived one traffic jam (a neat, orderly, efficient German traffic jam) and several shockingly fast left lane drivers. Jorg and Sean survived fog, a near-icing situation, a snack shortage, and a possibly dodgy aircraft to meet us at an airfield in Denmark.

With the plane handed off we all piled in the Sprinter and headed north….

…at the north end of Denmark you drive into the ferry to Sweden. Takes about 30 minutes or so. This is leaving Denmark behind.

This is approaching Sweden….

Camper trailers are popular here. I guess when you have one holiday after another you need to be able to do them right!

We stayed at Dideric Van Ramsdic’s place w he and his wife Alexandra. This is their living room- The house is beautiful, big and spacious. It was once a restaurant so the kitchen is massive. Alexandra converted another building into a yoga and Pilates studio. They operate another house on the property as a B&B. They are out in the country. It is quiet. I am selling my home in RI and moving in with them whether they like it or not.
Here is the B&B Website
https://www.appelgarden.eu/ Make a reservation if you want to see them and relax for a spell!
And if yoga is your thing you can do classes with Alexandra- see her site here:
https://www.yogawithalex.eu/

Of course their hospitality was off the chart- they had a big meal waiting for us (see Ron and Deb digging in above) and another highlight was watching 16mm films that were shot by Wim Van Acker dating back to 1930! If you like vintage Iceboat footage make a pilgrimage to see these!

More to follow….

Bill B investigated the ice and found styrofoam which is not good for sailing/racing. He said maybe after some rain on Monday conditions will improve.

I am really grateful to those doing ice checks this season. Thank you for time you spend traveling, etc.

Think better ice,

Karen DN 5630

Sent from my iPad

Last but not least- in Bad Zwischenahn there’s an OLD restaurant called Der Spieker… great place, awesome food including the local specialty, smoked eel. You have to eat at least one for luck! So I did…. not bad!

They have a local spirit here that they drink in big spoonfuls and also use to wash the eel oil off your hands at the table!

This is at Torsten Siems’ house/warehouse in Bad Zwischenahn. This is where we assemble boats and get ready for the trip- his generosity is extraordinary and much appreciated!

IDNIYRA Secretary Deb Whitehorse and Montana photographer/videographer Sean Heavey having coffee in Torsten’s warehouse/shop

Ron Sherry loading gear for the trip north to Sweden

Your author and Torsten Siems. He is forcing a smile even though we are trashing his nice neat shop!

Jorg Bohn, host and all around amazing guy, loading gear into his giant Sprinter van…

His garage after we cleaned it out of all the DN gear. As you can see he loves bikes too!

The big Sprinter. I drive big boats for a living and helming this thing is not all that different….

Some photos of yards and driveways. All nice and neat and orderly.

This is the waste pile at a construction site. Even this is neat, orderly and well kept.

Howdy All- just an update on the road to the DN World champs- Here’s the trip in photos so far:

Lufthansa flight from Boston. Don’t know why but I think the 747 is one of the coolest planes ever.

Flight very undercooked- nice to have a whole row of your own!

All of my gear safe and sound in Frankfurt. For what I paid they should have included a person to help haul it!

My rental car for the trip from Frankfurt to my host Jorg Bohn’s house in Oldenburg

A cool “stones in a cage” wall in Oldenburg

A local fave in Oldenburg- it’s a drink sold in pharmacies as a lineament for sick livestock. Last time I had a shot of this it was 2011 I think. I can still taste it!

More to come, stand by….

Hi everyone,

It was very fun last weekend and I am so glad we were able to get in a regatta with so many boats on the line. I did my best to interpret the score sheets I was handed…if a mistake please let me know and I will do my best to review/correct. My email is karenbinder@hotmail.com

RE: This Weekend – Snow did hit north of us and Bill B said he will check how the ice fared. Sunday will be the day if anything this weekend. Ill send an update when I know more!

Lake Sunapee 2/5/20 by Brian Langley

Two groups sailed today on Lake Sunapee and Newfound Lake in New Hampshire and passed on pictures and their first-hand accounts.

Brian Langley Reports from Sunapee

About 10 boats enjoyed sunny clear weather on Sunapee Lake today. Winds were around 8-10 with higher winds later in the day.

Ice was bumpy and rough on the lake. Combo of snow ice, windblown ice, and some refrozen windblown funky ice, that almost looked like open water? The lake is locked up solid. We found areas where the ice was glass. and other areas of smooth gray ice. There is one pressure ridge right from the river at the beach, all the way to the far shoreline. We managed to find a crossing and marked it with a cone I had brought out with me. Ice was a better grade of smooth gray running down the narrows to the island. We sailed up to the northern part of the lake where we found one pretty nasty pressure ridge with open water on the other side. We decided it could not be crossed. We sailed along the ridge down towards the mouth of Sunapee harbor to see if we could find a spot to cross and head up to George’s mills. But the ridge ran 90 degrees to the other and we could not safely go any further.

Sunapee 2/5/20 by John Pepper

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

Sunapee 2/5/20 by John Pepper

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

Sunapee 2/5/20 By Brian Langley

We did find a beautiful glass section up by the mouth to the bay and we all enjoyed sailing that glass-smooth plate for awhile. We headed back by late afternoon to make it through the narrows and the island. We all safely crossed at our return cone marking.
The wind had picked up nicely off the beach, and we all enjoyed some fast runs late in the day before breaking down at the beach.

Brian Langley

Next up, the report from Newfound Lake near Bridgewater, NH

Jay Whitehair and I sailed Newfound Lake today.

The ice was AWESOME with smooth expanses of gray ice and even some black ice in places. The wind was perfect (10mph or so). Beware the huge open lead at the north end of the lake. Also some wet pressure ridges and assorted other hazards, but all in all great ice from Wellington State Park north. The south end of the lake is only suitable for ice fishing.

Mark Friedman

Guys thanks for sharing your day with everyone. hopefully, we will get on either of these venues when the front passes. There was also activity on Winnipesaukee.

Stay tuned and keep your runners sharp and your powder dry,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

P.S. Please remember to share your experience and pictures with those who could not make it on to the ice.